Self and chaelesmonson



B. VHOTCHKISS.

Peat Machine.

Patented Jany 1, 1867.

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BENNET HOTCHKISS, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNCR TC 'HIM- SELF AND CHARLES MON SON Letters Patent No. 60,730, dated January 1, 1867.

IMPROVED FEAT MACHINE.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, BENNE'J, HOTGHKISS, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven, and State of COD. necticut, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Machinery for Preparing and Moulding Peat, and other plastic materials to be used for fuel or other purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings making a part of the same, is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Figure 1 is a front elevation. Figure 2 is a side elevation. Figure 3 is a vertical section-on the line 1 2 of fig. 1.

l The object of my invention is to produce a machine for suitably preparing and'moulding into the form of =cakes plastic material of various kinds,'as, for instance, peat or the various artificial compounds which are cmploycd for fuels. While, however, it is especially adapted for this purpose, it can also be employed for tempering and moulding clay for bricks without any substantial change of structure.

The first feature of my invention consists in a means for extractingthe surplus water from the composition, whether peat or other plastic compound, and at the same time tempering the material and rendering it homegeneous. -In most other machines for similar purposes reliance is had upon the extreme pressure during the operationof moulding the cakes for expressing the water with which peat in particular is saturated. The cakes are then required to be exposed to atmospheric influence for a considerable time before they are sufliciently dry for use, the process of evaporation going on very slowly where the particles of matter are so closely packed together. The principle which I employ is, in the first instance, to separate the particles of matter from each other by subjecting the mass to the action of grinding surfaces,-so arranged that while disintegration is taking place, and the mass being tempered or rendered of uniform consistency, the excess of water shall be rejected; and secondly, to mould the material so prepared, and in a comparatively dry state, into the form of convenient blocks or cakes for use.

In the accompanying drawings AA, figs. 2 and 3, are strong cylinders of cast iron or other proper material, mounted in a substantial frame and geared together, whereby the motion of their surfaces will be in opposite directions, as indicated by arrows. Motion is given to the cylinder, A, by means of a driving-belt passing over the pulloy,B, on the axle of such cylinder, as shown in fig. 1. Those cylinders, it will be observed, are of unequal diameters, or they may be of equal diameters but have diil'crci'it rates of revolution, and consequently any material passing between the two will be subjected to a tearing action proportioned to the diifcrcnce between the respective rates of surface motion of such cylinders. Cis ahoppcr of ordinary construction located above the cylinders, shown, (fig. 3,) sothat its contents will when discharged pass between the cylindcrs,-AA', and be thoroughly ground.

.This operation will cause the great majority of thewator to be squeezed from tho'mass and fall dircctly'upon the apron, D, whose surface is inclined and its edge turned up to format gutter, by which the water is conducted away from the machine. The material so disintegrated and pressed between three cylindrical surfaces of different rates of motion will retain only suiiicieut moisture to enable it to. adhere to the surface of the cylinder which has the quicker surface movement, to which it attaches itself by preference on the same principle that in a carding e ine the fibrous material is taken up by the carding cylinder which has the quicker rate of revolution. The peat or other plastic material so plastered upon the surface of the cylinder, A, is removed therefrom as the cyldcr revolves by the edge of the stationary scraper, E, and so soon as dislodged it falls into the receiving and conducting trough, F, for the next operation., A similar scraper may also be employed to clear the surface of the cylinder A, if desired. I propose also to construct the said cylinders in such way that they can be heated as by the introduction of steam through a pipe introduced through the journal, as shown at h, fig. 1, or

in any other convenient way, so that the material shall be more thoroughly freed of moisture during the process of disintegration than it would be by pressure alone, and render it more plastic and cohesive. The second feature of my machine consists in the means employed for moulding the peat or plastic material into the form of blocks after it has been preparedas above explained. The devices and combinations which I employ are as follows:

G is a strong unyielding bar extending transversely from side toside of the machinc to which an upward and downward movement is imparted by" means of the connecting-rod, G (fig. 1,) pivoted to the bar at each end, the connected rod being operated by cranks, G or their equivalents upon the shaft, G and to which shaft a rotary movement is given" by suitable means. Underneath the bar above described, and parallel with its lower surface, is a cylinder, H, which contains in this instance four mouldingboxes, e e, the construction of which is shown in section in fig. 3. v The bottoms,f, of the boxes are movable, those on opposite sides of the cylinder being connected together by rods, a a, and are fitted .to move lilge pistons in their respective boxes, so that when, the moulding box upon one side is filled with peat and the bottom depressed to its lowest point, the bottom of the opposite box will be nearly or quite flush with the surface of the cylinder, and expel the contents of the box to which it belongs. The cylinder, H, containing the moulding boircs, has an intermittent rotary movement given to it by means of the pawl b, operated by the rod c, connected with and moved by the pressing bar G, in combination with the ratchet-wheel d, upon the end of the cylinder, and such cylinder will be by such means caused to make one-fourth of a revolution at every upward movemcnt of the pressing bar. I

From the foregoing it is obvious that the peat or other plastic material which has been discharged into the conducting trough, F, will be deposited over the'mouth of that one of the moulding boxes which is in position to receive it, whereupon the pressing bar, G, will descend and force. the same into the box, compressing it into a dense cake. The cake so formed will remain in the box until the cylinder, H, has made a half revolution, when, as the box upon that side is filled, the pressed cake in the opposite box will be forced out and fall upon the endless apron, I, receiving motion from the shaft, G, by which apron it is conveyed to a convenient place for removal by an attendant. I v

I do not mean to limit myself to the precise construction or arrangement as described, but to include all more formal variations of form and structure accomplishing the same mode of operation. Neither do I mean to limit so much of the invention as resides in the combination of grinding surface of unequal rates of surface motion with an apparatus for moulding into cakes the plastic material so prepared to the combination of such grinding surfaces with the particular moulding apparatus shown, inasmuch as other arrangements for moulding the material may be so used in combination with such grinding surfaces and be within my invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to socure by Letters Patent, is i I 1. The use, in a machine for preparing peat or other plastic material, of the grin-ding surfaces A A, having unequal rates of surface motion, cooperating in the manner described, to efiect disintegrating the material, expressing the surplus water, and taking up the product upon the grinding surface havingthe faster rate of movement, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in 'such machine of the following instrumentalities the cylinders A A, or equivalent grinding surfaces having unequal rates of surface motion, and the scraper E, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

3. The combination in such machine of the following instrumentalities: the said grindingsurfaccs A A having unequal rates of surface motion, the scraper E, and the receiving and conducting trough F, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

4. The combination in such machine of the following instrumentalities: the said grinding surfaces A A, having unequal rates of surface motion, and the apron D, or other equivalent device for receiving and conduct ing away the surplus water expressed by the cylinders, substantially as set forth.

5. Combining in such machine grinding surfaces operating as described, with an apparatus for moulding the peat or other plastic material, the combination being substantially as specified. 6. Constructing the cylinder H with moulding boxes and pistons, substantially as described, and operating the same in combination with the cam presser G, substantially as set forth.

' BENNET HOTOHKISS.

Witnesses:

Knzzin W. FULLER, A. U. Terran. 

